Torture against Ukrainians: human rights defenders reported on the systematic practice of torture by russians
29 / 04 / 2023
The practice of torture has been used since the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, as well as the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. After the start of the full-scale invasion, the invaders spread it to the newly occupied southern regions of Ukraine. This was reported by the representatives of the organizations CrimeaSOS, Truth Hounds and International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) at the joint event “Torture and inhumane treatment of men, women and children by the Russian military in Ukraine” within the framework of the Second Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting of the OSCE.
Since 2014, CrimeaSOS has been documenting russia’s crimes, including cases of torture on the occupied peninsula. CrimeaSOS co-coordinator Sabina Iliasova said that the torture of Ukrainian citizens in the occupied Crimea and the newly occupied territories is a deliberate and targeted action of the russian troops.
“In some cases, the occupiers subjected people to torture using special equipment rather than improvised means. This equipment was imported by the russian security forces specifically for the purpose of torturing the population. For example, torture by electric current can be carried out with the help of two bare wires or with the help of special technical equipment. Therefore, torture, in particular in the newly occupied territories, is intentional,” said Sabina Iliasova.
Maryna Slobodianiuk, project manager and analyst of the Truth Hounds organization, cited the testimony of a man who was one of the victims of torture in 2014 in the Luhansk region. This case testifies to the systematic use of torture by the russians against prisoners. In addition, she emphasized that, despite the widespread opinion that men are a less vulnerable group among others, in most cases they are the victims of torture. Since the full-scale invasion, the Truth Hounds have recorded over a hundred cases of torture against men.
“When russian soldiers began to operate in newly occupied villages or cities, they began to literally hunt down civilians. For this, they used prepared lists with names and other personal data of former and current fighters of the so-called anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine (ATO), representatives of the Police, Security Service of Ukraine, Prosecutor’s Office and other authorized bodies. They were mostly men.”– Maryna Slobodianiuk said.
In a broader definition, detention conditions and inhumane treatment of Ukrainians captured by the occupiers can be equated to torture. Kateryna Bakai, representative of the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) organization, spoke about the cruel treatment and forced deportation of children from the occupied territories. russian forces have been abducting and deporting Ukrainian children since 2014, but since the start of the full-scale invasion, their child deportation activities have gained new momentum.
“We have documented dozens of cases of deportation of children with disabilities and developmental disorders. The risk of torture for such children increases due to the peculiarities of their mental and physical development. Deprived of the guardianship, special treatment and the usual daily routine, these children, whom russia claims to have saved, are subjected to severe suffering, which can be equivalent to torture,” said Kateryna Bakai.
Regular cases of transfer to solitary confinement, mock executions, lack or absence of medical care, psychological pressure and threats to the safety of a person or his/her relatives, documented by CrimeaSOS, Truth Hounds and IPHR, only confirm the arbitrariness and purposeful actions of the russian federation on the territory of Ukraine.
The event was moderated by Svitlana Valko, the IPHR coordinator of projects. She noted that the involvement and maximum use of mandates, the strengthening of the sanctions policy, the use of universal jurisdiction by the OSCE countries are absolutely necessary to stop russia’s crimes on the territory of Ukraine.
On April 24, CrimeaSOS, Тruth Hounds and IPHR held an event was in Vienna within the framework of the Second Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting of the OSCE “Torture and other serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross violations of international law in the field of human rights”.